Pistons Beat Bulls In Overtime

November 22, 1987|By Bob Sakamoto.

Whenever the Detroit Pistons come to town, it`s more than just a basketball game. Try hand-to-hand combat.

Pro basketball`s black-and-blue rivalry resumed hostilities Saturday night, and a three-point shot by Isiah Thomas with time running out sent the game into overtime tied at 122. A sellout Stadium crowd of 18,466 saw Michael Jordan score a season-high 47 points before the extra period.

The Bulls lost 144-132.

There are two reasons why Jordan plays with more passion than usual against the Pistons. Reason No. 1 is Isiah Thomas. Reason No. 2 is Bill Laimbeer.

Jordan still smarts from the All-Star game incident his rookie year when Thomas allegedly plotted to freeze him out during the game. As for Laimbeer, the Pistons` 6-foot-11, 260-pound center has mangled Jordan at least once a season. Last season, he slammed Jordan to the court and walked away as the Bulls` star went after him.

``It always seems to turn into a heated battle when we play them,``

Jordan said. ``That gets our momentum going.``

Jordan, who bruised his left elbow in the 94-92 victory over Atlanta Friday night, had the elbow X-rayed Friday night, and the results were negative.

``It`s the way they play,`` John Paxson said. ``They come out and put the body on you and don`t take anything from anybody. We play the same way. They have guys like Laimbeer and Rick Mahorn who set some mean screens. There always seems to be some incident whenever we play Detroit.``

Referees Jake O`Donnell and Tommy Nunez tried to keep order early in the game. They called numerous offensive fouls on both teams throughout the first quarter in keeping the physical play to a minimum. But that didn`t stop Bulls enforcer Charles Oakley from banging bodies with Laimbeer when the refs were out of sight.

Jordan erupted for 16 points in the first quarter, his best opening quarter of the season. He was hitting medium and long-range jumpers as well as flying to the hoop. Oakley was all alone on a fast break when he dished it sideways to a trailing Jordan, who dunked with authority.

A 14-6 Bulls` surge in the middle of the period gave the Bulls a 10-point lead that wound up 34-26 after one quarter. The Bulls stayed ahead until the Pistons went on a 22-4 tear, including 14 in a row, to open up a 57-48 lead with 2:50 left in the half. Thomas had 10 points in that stretch, including three straight jumpers.

In the first nine minutes of the quarter, the Pistons hit 13 of 17 shots while the Bulls could connect on only 6 of 15. Detroit was outrebounding the Bulls 8-4 and leading in assists 9-3.

Frustrated by his team`s collapse, Bulls coach Doug Collins vented his anger on Nunez and was hit with a technical foul. With the addition of two free throws by Thomas and the technical shot by Laimbeer, the Pistons`

dominance reached 25-4 with 17 points in a row.

Oakley snapped the Bulls` dry spell and injected some life into his team when he was fouled by Laimbeer and then confronted Piston enforcer Rick Mahorn.

The 6-9, 245-pound Oakley and 6-10, 255-pound Mahorn squared off in a shoving match before the officials came between them. Oakley hit both free throws to start the Bulls on an 8-point run. He ended the spurt with an 18-foot jumper.

The Bulls trailed 60-56 at halftime, with the promise of more fireworks in the second half. Jordan led all scorers with 20 points. Dave Corzine had 12 and Oakley 10, plus 7 rebounds. Thomas led the Pistons with 16 points, and Dennis Rodman added 12.

Both teams shot extremely well in the first half. The Pistons hit 60 percent, the Bulls 57 percent.

Paxson came out and drilled a 3-point shot to open the third quarter, and 4 straight Oakley points put the Bulls up by 2.

Adrian Dantley took temporary control of the game in the middle of the quarter. He scored 9 straight points, countered only by a Sellers running 12- footer as the Pistons opened a 72-65 lead.

Dantley pointed up a weakness in the Bulls` defense that was exploited by Dominique Wilkins and the Hawks 24 hours earlier. Defensively, the Bulls are hurting at small forward, where second-year-man Sellers and rookie Scottie Pippen lack the experience to contain high-scoring adversaries at the league`s glamor position.

Jordan scored 5 straight to bring the Bulls within 74-72 with 5:46 left in the quarter. He also drew the fourth foul on Thomas, sending him to the bench.

Trying to stay with the elusive Dantley, Pippen picked up his fifth foul with 3:03 left in the quarter and was replaced by Sellers, who hit a jumper that tied the game at 80.

Sellers scored the last 3 points of the quarter, which ended with the Bulls trailing 87-85. Dantley had 16 points in the period.